Defense The Key For Haverford Women's Hoops

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Division III Haverford College women's basketball team has enjoyed a lot of success since head coach Bobbi Morgan took over the program in 2008. In fact, the Fords have enjoyed five straight winning seasons and are well on their way to a sixth here in 2016-17.

Despite having a nine-game winning streak snapped last night with a 62-55 road loss to Ursinus, Haverford is 13-5 on the season. A 10-3 record in Centennial play has the Fords alone at the top of the conference standings.

"I think it's been a little bit of a surprise because we're so young," Morgan tells KYW Newsradio. "I think that we thought that we could be in the thick of things, I don't know that I expected to be at the top of the conference at this point. But there are still seven games left. Our goal has been to make the playoffs and compete for the tournament championship, so I guess we are where we want to be, we're just a little higher up than I thought we'd be."

Listen to the entire interview with Haverford head coach Bobbi Morgan

As is usually the case with Haverford, it's the defense that is at the heart of success. The Fords are one of the nation's top teams at preventing opponents from scoring, holding them to 49.2 points per game on 32% shooting from the field.

"We set a goal for points (allowed) every game," Morgan says. "Sometime it's less than 50, sometimes it's less than 45. We put that number up on the board and the kids, they really kind of respond to that. That's a goal for the team every game."

Morgan talks about some of the players making this success possible.

"We have two juniors that have been outstanding, both post players," she says. "Sam Wetzel is a 6'3" center from St. Joe's (High School) down in Hammonton and she's been phenomenal all year. Junior Sierra Berkel from New York, those two have kind of been our twin posts that have been really outstanding. Sophomore Macy Goldbach, who is a Philadelphia player from Garnet Valley High School, has really been our most consistent scorer in the back court. Then we have a bunch of younger kids, freshmen that have really contributed. The freshmen, ultimately, have changed our season this year. They are the ones that have been the difference makers."

Haverford will return to action on Saturday afternoon when the Fords host Dickinson.